Dissolution of a harm reduction track for opiate agonist treatment: Longitudinal impact on treatment retention, substance use and service utilization

• Published in: The International journal of drug policy 2010-01, Vol.21 (1), p.82-85
• Main Authors: Hartzler, Bryan, Cotton, Ann J, Calsyn, Donald A, Guerra, Rachael, Gignoux, Edward
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Contingency management; Dissolution; Drug addicts; Drug policy; Drug use; Female; Harm Reduction; Health Resources - utilization; Hospitals, Veterans; Humans; Impact analysis; Internal Medicine; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Matched-Pair Analysis; Medical care; Medical Education; Middle Aged; Narcotics; Opiate agonist treatment; Opiates; Opioid-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Opium - agonists; Patient Compliance - statistics & numerical data; Patient Dropouts - statistics & numerical data; Retention; Retrospective Studies; Substance abuse; Substance abuse treatment; Treatment; Treatment methods; U.S.A; United States; Urban Population
• ISSN: 0955-3959; 1873-4758
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2009.01.005

Abstract Background There is great need to sustain harm reduction programmes for opiate-dependent persons, given variable retention of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) enrolees. Resource challenges may lead some health organizations to discontinue such programmes, though just as programmatic evaluation may determine efficacy and cost-effectiveness so to does it aid in examining impacts of programme dissolution. Methods This retrospective evaluation investigated impacts of the dissolution of a ‘Minimal Services’ (MS) harm reduction programme for substance-abusing OAT clientele at an urban U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Centre. Targeted clinical data concerning treatment retention, substance use and service utilization was abstracted from medical records of MS-assignees ( N = 32) and a matched comparison group of standard OAT enrolees. Chart reviewers gathered data for a two-year period encompassing baseline, transitional, and dissolution study phases. Results Relative to matched-controls, MS-assignees exhibited: (1) disproportionately poor treatment retention over the two-year period; (2) high and temporally stable rates of documented substance use across study phases, and (3) increased utilization of resource-laden VAMC services after MS dissolution. Conclusion Collective results suggest MS programme dissolution was associated with adverse conditions for assignees and the larger treatment setting, and reinforce the need for pragmatic, humane treatment policies to facilitate retention of opiate-dependent persons.